Feral Jundi

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Nigeria: Former MEND Militant Forges $103 Million Deal To Stop Piracy

Filed under: Maritime Security,Nigeria — Tags: , , , , , , , — Matt @ 11:31 AM

Hmmm. Interesting. So is Nigeria taking a page from the Woodes Rogers playbook for their fight against pirates and militants? Below, I posted a snippet from Theodore Richard’s paper on the Letter of Marque. Is this a case of ‘it takes a pirate, to defeat a pirate’? lol –Matt

 

Expulsis Piratis, Restituta Commercia in Nigeria?

 

The western world’s “Golden Age of Piracy” began in 1715, following the 1713 Peace of Utrecht, which brought an end to a decade of European warfare involving all the continent’s major powers. The upsurge in piracy was caused by the unemployment of significant numbers of sailors: the English navy alone discharged 54,000 sailors and privateers could no longer obtain commissions to attack European commerce. This “Golden Age of Piracy” peaked around 1720 and reached an abrupt end in 1725. More than anyone else, the man responsible for bringing this age of piracy to an end was Woodes Rogers.
In an early example of the “revolving door” between the private and public sector employment, Rogers was a privateer before being appointed  as the Governor of Bahamas, then the pirate capital of the Americas. In order to reform this territory, Rogers dispersed the pirates of the Caribbean with privateers.
The piracy problem during this era was solved through a combination of tactics:
(1) the British Parliament passed legislation allowing overseas piracy trials, rather than requiring suspected pirates to be brought to England;
(2) captured pirates were publicly tried and executed;
(3) pirates who turned themselves in were pardoned;
(4) naval patrols were increased;
(5) rewards or bounties were promised for the capture of pirates; and
(6) private ships were licensed to attack and capture pirates.
Of these methods, the last is the most relevant here.

From the paper, Reconsidering the Letter of Marque: Utilizing Private Security Providers Against Piracy, by Theodore Richard.

——————————————————

Nigerian ex-militant forges security contract
Linked to $103M deal to stop piracy
By Jon Gambrell
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
A former militant leader in Nigeria’s oil-rich southern delta is linked to a private security company that signed a $103 million deal with the government to patrol the West African nation’s waterways to stop piracy, officials have told the Associated Press.
The commander, who was granted amnesty in 2009, endorsed hiring Global West Vessel Specialist Agency Ltd. to protect the waterways, something Nigeria’s navy and civil authorities appear unable to do.
Before the amnesty, men allied with the ex-militant, Government Ekpumopolo, carried out attacks and killings in the southern Niger Delta.

(more…)

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Industry Talk: DOE Security Contractors List, FY 2011

Filed under: Industry Talk,Texas — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 5:08 PM

It is very interesting to me that some of the most sensitive stuff and strategically important assets of the US, are guarded by security contractors. From Nuclear Sites, to Laboratories, to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve–private security contractors are who stand guard over this stuff.

The report below is the only report I could find that actually discussed the performance of security contractors. All of the other ones are not available to the public. And most of this stuff is about safety issues.

What I was mostly drawn too is who are the players?  Well for one, Wackenhut, which is owned by G4S, has quite a few contracts with DOE. Did you know about this contract?

The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the selection of Wackenhut Services Inc., Palm Beach, Florida, to provide security services at the Savannah River Site (SRS) here.
The Cost-Plus-Award-Fee type contract has a value of $989 million over ten years, which includes a five-year base period and two option periods of three and two years.

It is also odd to me that this nation’s strategic resources are being guarded by an American company that is owned by a larger foreign company. The largest in the world. So thank you G4S….Wow.

As to jobs, I only found one that was flying and that was for a training position at Bryan Mound.

Now of course you will have to interpret the security contractors listed below. The names presented are what is listed under their organizational codes, but you get the idea. A list like this will help you to hunt down a contractor that you might want to work for, or target a region of interest. The 2005 report has a list of contractors as well, but that is not current. Check it out and if there are any security companies missing, let me know so we can make this list more accurate. –Matt

 

Private security contractors patrol the U.S. Department of Energy's Stategic Petroleum Reserve in Bryan Mound, Texas May 20, 2008.

A 2005 report on security contractors done by DOE.

————————————————–

DOE Security Contractors Fiscal Year 2011

(from injuries and illness table)

Albuquerque–Secure Transportation Div.
ABQ Sec. WSI – OST – Protective Force Tr
ABQ Sec. Innovative Tech. Partnerships
Albuquerque Security Epsilon-OST
DOE National Training Center
BWXT Sec. (Pantex) – Sec. Police Off. I
Wackenhut Services, Inc. – NV
Honeywell FM&T (Kansas) Security
LANL Security – (SOC-LA)
Wackenhut Services – Y-12 Security
Wackenhut – Y-12 Security Subs
BMPC Security Forces
NRF Security Forces–Admin
BMPC-KAPL – Kesselring Security Forces
LM-KAPL – Knolls Security Forces – Secur
Sandia Security Forces – Administration
Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab – Security
Santa Fe Protective Services (WIPP)
Argonne-East Security Force – Security P
BNL Security Forces – Security Police Of
Trinity Protection Services (Fermilab)
Paragon Tech. Serv. (HQ) – Security Offi
Jefferson Lab. Security
Ameritex (NETL) – Security Police Office
INL – BEA, LLC – Security – Security Po
Wackenhut Services – OR Security
West Valley Nuclear Services – Security
Hanford Security
Wackenhut Services, Inc. – SR
Security Subcontractor – SPR

Link to summary here.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Bounties: US Offers $10 Million Bounty For 2008 Mumbai Terrorist– Haviz Mohammad Saeed

Filed under: Bounties,India,Pakistan — Tags: , , , , , , , — Matt @ 2:19 PM

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters Tuesday the bounty on Saeed is about “justice being done” and that there should be no impunity for those who kill Americans overseas. She emphasized that the reward was not just for information leading to Saeed’s arrest, but also for information leading to his conviction.

Man, let’s get this guy. This is also a great way to snub Pakistan (again, because they deserve it for hiding Bin Laden all of these years and supporting the Taliban) and show some support for India (who does deserve our support and would tick off Pakistan), by helping to nab this guy.  He has been pretty open in Pakistan and so he shouldn’t be hard to find.

What is key with this bounty though, is that the US wants information that will lead to his location and arrest/conviction. So you might be able to locate him, but in order to get the full amount, I think we want a little bit more. I would say information leading to arrest and conviction would be far more valuable in this deal and would probably give that tipster the full amount.

But of course this whole bounty program is a contradiction in terms. By all intents and purposes, this is a bounty.  According to the Rewards for Justice FAQ, bounty hunting is not prohibited with this deal though. So could a company find the guy and get all of the juice on him, and then find some random person to be the ‘lone individual’ to report the whole thing?  I don’t get that.

By offering a reward, aren’t you encouraging bounty hunters?

We strongly discourage bounty hunters and other non-government individuals from pursuing the capture of terrorists; instead, RFJ provides rewards for information that will enable appropriate government authorities to locate and apprehend such individuals.

To me, the DoS should be up front and purposeful about promoting bounty hunting. It is a form of offense industry that if properly constructed, will definitely produce results. At this time, their Rewards For Justice program is terribly inefficient and poorly set up.

They should be reaching out to all and any parties/groups/individuals/companies, and providing a set of rules and licenses in order for them to do what they need to do to find these folks. Issue a Letter of Marque and Reprisal–with an emphasis on ‘reprisal’ and tell these folks to get bonded, and then let them hunt. Matter of fact, let hundreds of groups go hunting, all being innovative and motivated, and turn ol’ Haviz Mohammad Saeed and others like him into a prize. But that would first require the DoS and governments to stop demonizing bounty hunters and utility….. –Matt

 

Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, the leader of a banned Islamic group Jamaat-ud-Dawa is seen during an anti-Indian rally to show solidarity with Indian Kashmiris, in Lahore, Pakistan, February 5, 2010.

 

Wanted : Information leading to the arrest and conviction of Hafiz Mohammad Saeed –Up to $10 Million
Place of Birth : Sargodha, Punjab Province, Pakistan
Date of Birth : 06/05/1950
Sex : Male
Hair : Red
Eyes : Brown
Nationality : Pakistani
Citizenship : Pakistan
Hafiz Mohammad Saeed is a former professor of Arabic and Engineering, as well as the founding member of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a radical Deobandi Islamist organization dedicated to installing Islamist rule over parts of India and Pakistan, and its military branch, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba. Saeed is suspected of masterminding numerous terrorist attacks, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which resulted in the deaths of 166 people, including six American citizens.
The Republic of India has issued an Interpol Red Corner Notice against Saeed for his role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Additionally, the United States Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated National under Executive Order 13224.
Lashkar-e-Tayyiba was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in December 2001. In April 2008, the United States designated Jamaat-ud-Dawa as a Foreign Terrorist Organization; similarly, the United Nations declared Jamaat-ud-Dawa a terrorist organization in December 2008.
Link to Rewards for Justice bounty here.
—————————————————————-
US Offers $10 Million Bounty for 2008 Mumbai Terror Suspect
April 03, 2012
The United States is offering a bounty of up to $10 million for the Pakistani man accused of masterminding the deadly 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.?The State Department’s “Rewards for Justice” website on late Monday announced the reward for information leading to Hafiz Mohammad Saeed’s capture and conviction. The reward is the second highest bounty offered by the U.S.

(more…)

Monday, April 2, 2012

Maritime Security: Guards, Razor Wire Help Keep Somali Pirates At Bay–NATO

Filed under: Maritime Security,Somalia — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 4:33 PM

The rate of successful hijack attempts had “almost returned to pre-crisis (2007) levels.”
John Steed, a former head of the United Nations counter-piracy unit, has said a major reason for the drop in the number of vessels hijacked is that the pirates got so rich last year.
But increased use of armed private security guards, and other defences like pirate-pummelling water pumps and razor wire are also helping reduce the number of successful attacks on merchant ships.
“Armed security guards on board the merchant vessels is very effective means of protecting them,” Rear Admiral Sinan Azmi Tosun, the commander of the SNMG2 said. “We welcome all these protection measures.”

The significance of this article is that a Rear Admiral thinks armed guards on boats is a good idea. That our industry is making a difference, and NATO leaders are recognizing that. Pretty cool and check it out below. –Matt

 

Guards, razor wire help keep Somali pirates at bay – NATO
April 2, 2012
By Daniel Fineren
The hijack success rate for Somali pirates has dropped sharply in recent months, a NATO official said on Monday, due in part to more merchant ships turning to armed security guards, razor wire and water pumps to protect themselves.
Improved international cooperation on combating piracy on land and at sea – covering an area four times the size of the Arabian peninsula – has been the cornerstone of efforts to tackle a problem costing the world economy up to $12 billion a year, a spokesman for NATO’s counter-piracy force in the Indian Ocean said.
“Only six vessels have been pirated for ransom in the last eight months, compared to 36 in the preceding eight,” Lieutenant Commander Mehmet Elyurek told reporters on board the TCG Giresun, the Turkish flagship of the force that operates off the Horn of Africa.
The rate of successful hijack attempts had “almost returned to pre-crisis (2007) levels.”
John Steed, a former head of the United Nations counter-piracy unit, has said a major reason for the drop in the number of vessels hijacked is that the pirates got so rich last year.

(more…)

Gear Review: The Safariland ALS Holster

Filed under: Gear Review,Weapons Stuff — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 4:21 PM

I had a chance to pick up one of these holsters and I was very happy with it. Personally, I was looking for a concealable holster that had some type of retention. Safariland makes a great product and I figured I would check out their ALS Holster.

I did not want to use a SERPA because I think they are junk and not very well designed.(notice where the trigger finger goes after you press the release–right onto the trigger area as you draw)

My other favorite holster when retention is not a factor is a Comp-Tac kydex holster. They are built like a tank and are comfortable to wear. If retention is not a big deal for your particular contract, then this is a great holster.

Why then would retention be a good idea for contractors?  A concern in today’s war zone contracts, and especially in places like Afghanistan, is working around folks you just don’t trust. In other words, you do not want to make it easy for them to grab your pistol out of your holster and then shoot you and others with it.

The other reason why I like retention is that it holds the pistol in place while you are moving and running around. With a regular kydex holster, this could be an issue. It is easy for a seat belt to get caught on your pistol and it just pull it out. Or you sit down and a chair armrest knocks the pistol out. Having retention just keeps that pistol in place, where you need it.

As to the variants of this holster, you can get a pistol light ALS holster, or even a duty ALS holster. The duty ALS holster has a guard on in it, which can be nice if you want to protect the release button on the top from your gut/kit/clothing or attacker going for your gun. You can also get other mounts and attachments for the ALS holster to put it on a drop leg or lower the ALS holster on your belt. There are even different colors you can choose from. Lots of options and it is up to you how you want to set it up.

The initial kit that you get, gives you the option of a paddle or belt loop slider piece. I carry it with the belt loop slider, just so the pistol and holster are locked into place on the belt at all times. But sometimes a paddle is nice too. Although one critique of the belt slider piece is that it is very basic.  Safarliand should have put more effort into making a piece that is more form fitted to the body, kind of like what the Comp-Tac kydex holsters have.  I am sure a custom shop might be able to make something for you there, or there might be a piece that Safariland has made to replace that. The drop down mount looks a little more doable, but I have not tried that yet.

As for the draw, it is very easy to get good with this thing. Plus the release button forces you to place your hand in the same grip every time.  So if you are trying to achieve consistency in that regard, this is a good pistol holster. Plus you are using your trigger finger for pressing the weapon trigger, and not pressing some release button and then your trigger. Here, you use your thumb to release, and they are great for a Glock user. (which is the most common pistol on contracts) For holstering, you don’t have to do anything and it just automatically locks it in again.

This shows the release button and what the belt slide looks like on the back.

For any reduction in draw speed?  Maybe, but I haven’t played around with it to that level, and I am sure it is marginal. But hey, if you want to convert this holster into a kydex type open holster, you can remove the retention mechanism. Lots of options with this holster depending on what you need. (check out this video of it being drawn)

Not to mention that the suede lining is a nice touch. It makes it very quite to holster or un-holster, and it protects the finish of the weapon. So for companies that are looking for a tough holster with retention that will protect their pistols, this is an option.

As for concealment, this is not bad. It sucks up against the body alright, but maybe not as close as some of the current types of kydex. It doesn’t wrap like a Raven Concealment holster, but it still hugs just fine for what it is.

My only con for this pistol is that it would be cool to be able to lock the release button out. That way you could just keep it open for some scenarios and have a free draw without having to worry about retention. That would be useful for walking patrol duty at night or something–but be able to switch it back when you are operating around crowds again.

Finally, this is not the only retention holster out there. Do your own research and look around. Choose kit that works for you and your pistol, and for the mission/contract that you are on.

Take good care of that kit and bring what you need to keep it operational. That means buy extra screws or bring allen wrenches so you can work on this stuff. With contracts, you never assume that the kit they will issue is good or that they will have the parts/expertise to fix your stuff. Hell, I have been on some gigs where they gave you a pistol and yet they did not give you a holster! So bring a holster is the lesson.

Be self-sufficient, buy good kit, and have confidence knowing that your stuff is familiar, is tough, in good condition and functions well. Take care of it, and it will take care of you. –Matt

 

Safariland Glock 17, 22 6378 ALS Concealment Paddle Holster (STX Black Finish)

Product Features
-ALS Automatic Locking System secures weapon once holstered, it locks into place
-Slim and low profile design for improved concealment
-Simple straight draw once ALS is de-activated
-Formed, sturdy paddle design for comfort and easy on and off
-Fits 1.5″ to 1.75″ belt widths

Product Description
The Safariland Model 6378 Holster is a concealment version of the Automatic Locking System (ALS ) series holsters. Once the weapon is holstered, it “locks” into place, providing an extra measure of security from standard open top holsters. A simple straight up draw is possible once the ALS is de-activated by the thumb while obtaining a shooting grip. IDPA approved. The Model 6378 holster features an all-new injection molded paddle design that is highly concealable and rides close to body with a slightly forward weapon cant. It also comes standard with the 567BL belt loop, fitting 1.5″ to 1.75″ belt widths. Additionally, it features suede lining to help protect the gun’s sights and finish, and its SafariLaminatestructure with wraparound design provides the strongest design combination available.

Safariland Glock 17, 22 6378 ALS Concealment Paddle Holster (STX Black Finish)
List Price: $54.00
Price: $43.90
Sale: $39.61 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.
You Save: $14.39 (27%)
Buy the holster here.

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